Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty recently said that modern AAA games’ development has changed to encompass multiple studios working on the same title.
According to VGC, Booty spoke at a PAX West Q&A and fielded a query asking if COVID-19 was responsible for the many release delays. In response, Booty said that though the pandemic is indeed one factor, how AAA game development has changed is also a contributing factor in delays.
AAA games are big and increasingly and are increasingly getting bigger. Games of such complexity require more intense QA, and according to Booty, studio partnerships. He specifically pointed to Perfect Dark as an example. It was announced in 2021 that Perfect Dark would be co-developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics.